Ellen Farr, Business Development Manager, Graphtec GB explains why more companies are using their Mutoh for packaging applications
Creating packaging mock-ups or running a smaller series of high-quality packaging is a rapidly growing market for UV flatbed printing. Traditional offset packaging printers are frequently not suited for one-off jobs or brief production runs, and this limitation means that companies cannot test all their ideas with their equipment as easily as they would like to.
Mutoh’s advanced flatbed UV LED printers offer a versatile and efficient solution to this challenge. They can create high-quality packaging mock-ups, prototypes, and smaller series production runs with very little additional setup or adaptation. This means businesses can quickly and easily explore new designs, create bespoke packaging for unique products, and produce on-demand short-run packaging with a versatile and cost-effective Mutoh printer.
Mutoh offers a range of flatbed printers suited to these tasks, including the compact XpertJet 661UF tabletop models and the larger format XpertJet 1462UF. These UV flatbed printers have key features that make them particularly well-suited for the demands of packaging applications, including:
Direct-to-Object (DTO) Printing
Mutoh flatbed printers are designed for printing directly onto a wide variety of materials and three-dimensional objects. This is invaluable for packaging, as it allows printing directly onto assembled boxes or various substrates commonly used in packaging production.
Versatile Substrate Handling
These printers can accommodate objects of various sizes and thicknesses. The XpertJet 1462UF, for instance, features a printing table size of 1,420 x 700 mm and can print on objects up to 150 mm high, supporting loads up to 50 kg/m². The smaller XpertJet 661UF can print on objects up to 15 cm thick. This flexibility is crucial for accommodating a wide range of packaging formats and substrates.
CMYK + White + Varnish Inks
A standard configuration includes CMYK process colours plus highly opaque white ink and versatile varnish inks. The white ink is perfect for ensuring vibrant colours and clear graphics when printing on dark-coloured or transparent packaging substrates.
Finishing with varnish:
The varnish inks enable creative possibilities for packaging. They can be used for spot varnish effects to highlight design elements or even to create special textures or embossing effects.
Local Dimming Control Technology:
Featured on models like the XpertJet 1462UF and 661UF, this innovation allows for segmented control of the UV lamps. This means you can produce multiple varnish effects (gloss, semi-gloss, and matte) within the same print pass, significantly boosting productivity and minimising the risk of dust contamination in glossy areas.
High Print Quality and Durable Inks:
Mutoh printers deliver incredibly sharp, high-quality output thanks to precision ink dot placement. For the XpertJet 1462UF, the US61 inks are flexible, highly scratch-resistant, and deliver ultra-sharp output on a wide variety of rigid substrates commonly used in packaging, such as ABS, PET, PP, PS, and PVC. These inks are also environmentally responsible.
Tactile and 2.5D Printing:
The capability for tactile printing allows for the creation of textures, raised icons, and even embossed text. This can add a premium feel and accessibility features (like Braille) to packaging prototypes and short runs.
Designed for Efficiency and Ease of Use:
Features like multiple vacuum zones on the table ensure media is held down effectively. The tables also include holes or tapped holes for easily fixing jigs, which are invaluable when printing onto pre-constructed boxes or complex shapes, ensuring precise placement.
Automation features such as automatic substrate thickness detection help prevent errors and speed up setup. Dual staggered print heads on the XPJ-1462UF enable faster two-layer printing in a single pass. Built-in maintenance functions, such as the Automatic Nozzle Checking Unit and Nozzle Area Select, reduce operator workload and ensure consistent print quality.
Cutting acrylic for jigs
For printing directly onto finished packaging or complex three-dimensional objects up to 150 mm high on the XpertJet 1462UF (or 15 cm thick on the XpertJet 661UF), precise and repeatable placement is crucial. This is where jigs become invaluable.
Mutoh flatbed printers are designed with features to facilitate the use of custom jigs. The printing table on the XPJ-1462UF, for instance, includes vacuum zones and holes or M4 tapped holes specifically for easily fixing jigs. These jigs provide stable support and ensure consistent alignment for each item being printed, which is essential for maintaining quality and efficiency, especially during production runs.
Graphtec GB is also the exclusive UK distributor for the WidLaser range of acrylic cutters, and these are ideally suited for creating specific packaging shapes to be used as jigs. Our customers find that using a precision laser cutter is an effective method for producing accurate and intricate acrylic or other material jigs, which are necessary to fully leverage the precise positioning capabilities of the Mutoh flatbed printer table when printing on diverse packaging forms.
For businesses looking to enhance their packaging capabilities, Mutoh flatbed printers provide a cost-effective, high-quality, and flexible solution for mockups, prototypes, and small production batches that are impractical or expensive with traditional methods. Their ability to print directly onto a wide range of materials, combine CMYK with white and varnish, and support features like tactile printing and jig usage make them an ideal tool for packaging innovation.